Daehan Gwangtongsin (Korea Optical Communication)
Overview
Daehan Gwangtongsin refers to the companies and industrial ecosystem leading the construction of optical communication network infrastructure and related technology development in South Korea. Based on broadband network construction projects that began in the late 1990s, it has now become a core element of advanced ICT infrastructure such as 5G/6G mobile communications, data centers, and smart cities. This article comprehensively covers the history, key technologies, market status, and latest trends of Daehan Gwangtongsin.
Main Content
History and Background
The origins of Daehan Gwangtongsin can be traced back to the high-speed information network construction project of Korea Telecom (now KT) in 1995. At that time, the government established the 'Basic Plan for High-Speed Information Network Construction' and began laying optical cables in major cities nationwide. In the early 2000s, copper-based high-speed internet such as ADSL and VDSL became common, but as the bandwidth and reliability advantages of optical cables were proven, full-scale FTTH (Fiber to the Home) deployment took place from the 2010s onward. As of 2020, over 98% of households in South Korea have access to optical cable-based high-speed internet.
Key Technologies
Daehan Gwangtongsin is broadly divided into the fields of optical cable manufacturing, optical transceivers, optical amplifiers, WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) technology, and optical network equipment. Domestic companies such as LS Cable & System, Taihan Electric Wire, Opticis, and KMW are active in these areas. In particular, LS Cable & System has entered the top five globally in the submarine optical cable market, and in 2023, it succeeded in mass-producing 400Gbps-class optical transceivers. Additionally, domestic research institutes (ETRI, KAIST) succeeded in the world's first 1Tbps-class single-wavelength transmission experiment in 2024, leading next-generation optical communication technology.
Market Status
The Daehan Gwangtongsin market is estimated to be worth approximately 12 trillion KRW as of 2024, growing at an average annual rate of 8%. Major demand sources include telecommunications companies (KT, SK Broadband, LG U+), data centers (IDCs), and the government's Digital New Deal projects. In particular, the 'K-Cloud Project' and 'Smart City Nationwide Expansion' projects, which began in 2023, are driving demand for optical communication. Exports account for 35% of the total, with notable performance in North American and Southeast Asian markets.
Major Companies
- LS Cable & System: The top domestic optical cable manufacturer, strong in submarine cables and special optical cables.
- Taihan Electric Wire: Develops convergence products for power lines and optical communication; launched optical cables for AI data centers in 2024.
- Opticis: A specialized optical transceiver company, currently developing 800Gbps-class products.
- KMW: Supplies optical modules and antenna solutions for 5G/6G base stations.
Latest Trends
In the 2024–2025 period, three major trends stand out in the Daehan Gwangtongsin field. First, the explosive increase in AI data centers is driving a surge in demand for high-speed optical communication. As 800Gbps–1.6Tbps-class optical transceivers become essential for training and inference of generative AI models, competition among domestic companies in technology development has intensified. Second, the submarine optical cable market is expanding. As global big tech companies (Google, Amazon, Meta) build their own submarine cables, LS Cable & System and Taihan Electric Wire have entered the bidding competition. In January 2025, LS Cable & System signed a contract to build 2,000 km of submarine cable in the Asia-Pacific region. Third, research on optical-wireless convergence technology for 6G communication is active. In December 2024, ETRI demonstrated technology to transmit terahertz band signals over optical cables, aiming for commercialization by 2030. Additionally, the government announced the 'Roadmap for Self-Reliance in Core Optical Communication Technologies' in 2025, planning to invest 1 trillion KRW over five years in optical materials and optical integrated circuits.
Related Topics
- [[Optical cable]]
- [[FTTH]]
- [[5G]]
- [[Data center]]
- [[LS Cable & System]]
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